Rufus the Writer by Elizabeth Bram, illustrated Chuck Groenink Ages 3-8 32 pages Schwartz and Wade July 2015 Hardcover     Story inspirations are all around us, if we are open to them. Rufus is such an open boy. When he opens an outdoor story stand in the summer, he writes about the neighborhood children who come see him. Millie and Walter’s outfits inspire Rufus’s first two-page illustrated story, "Orange is the Best Color." It’s about a family of fish and how colors can combine to make new colors. His next stories are about the kittens he sees, a teapot his sister is playing with, and the buttons that his friend Sara likes. As each child rushes off to find payment for a story (a shell, flowers, a kitten, a compliment), Rufus has time to write. Rufus also loves to share his stories. The last double-page spread looks surreal. Groenink combines all of Rufus’s characters into the neighborhood scene. As the children read the stories, we see button trees growing among evergreen trees, and the tea set can be seen walking toward Rufus and his friends. Teachers could give students an object and have them write and illustrate a short story (under ten sentences) just as Rufus does in this book. Although Rufus looks serious while writing (he wears a bowtie), he makes writing look fun and easy.     web reviews   Tanya Boudreau/2015 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)